Blue Bloods 9×04 “Blackout” Review

Blue Bloods is continuing to champion women’s issues and tackle sexual harassment this week; and, my god, does it ever make me adore this show even more. Let’s take a deeper look at what went down in episode four of season nine, “Blackout.”

Danny

Even though I love him, I’m not going to spend much time on Danny this week because he was, once again, carrying the “procedural” part of this show all on his own. And yet again, this left me feeling like last season spoiled me. Donnie Wahlberg was able to perform to his best last season. He was given a journey with phenomenal emotional depth; sadly, after the premiere, we’ve seen nothing but Detective Danny Reagan.

I am begging you, Blue Bloods writers, please bring back single dad Danny, protective brother Danny or opinionated son Danny. I would love to see more Reagan, less detective.

Furthermore, this particular case wasn’t really that interesting. I was able to call the twists the minute that house swap website made an appearance. If we’re going to have a case of the week, let’s at least make it interesting like the case from episode three.

Frank

The best part of Frank’s in “Blackout” was the way discrimination to poorer areas was addressed, as well as the way it illustrated Frank’s strength of character and Sid’s compassion. Every week, we see how strong of a leader Frank Reagan is, and every week, I wish more people like him were involved in law enforcement in real life. Our leaders in any industry could learn from the way this character is written. No badgering from the rich and powerful will compromise how Frank protects his city and who receives that protection.

And then there’s Sid. I love Sid. He’s a tough guy who spent years on the job, and he’s a wonderful advocate for NYPD officers. He knows their struggles, but he can acknowledge when a situation is not fair or clear. Robert Clohessy is charming and funny, and he is the only actor that could make Sid as truly endearing as he is. Watching Sid try to defend his friend, who he felt was in a tough spot, was was a compelling struggle. His speech about how exceptional Frank is and how seriously he is taken by his peers — as opposed to himself or any other officer — was actually a well made point. It’s important for Frank to remember that not everyone has the authority, position or reputation that he does; and I love that Sid has the courage to remind him of that.

Erin

Yet again, Erin is a paragon of justice, and I love her for it. She faltered with her treatment of Anthony last week, but I am ecstatic to see her back on her soapbox ,fighting more powerful people to make sure the right thing is done. Her compassion for the woman she was supposed to be prosecuting was admirable. She trusts her gut as a woman and a mother and is compassionate. She saw straight through to the heart of this woman and the context of her circumstances.

Watching Erin stand up for this woman who has been abused and harassed was a beautiful picture — women supporting women, in the best way possible. She went to bat for another woman and hit a home run. Erin Reagan has moments where I doubt her, but more often than not, she is a woman after my own heart. Thank you, Bridget Moynahan, for bringing her to life.

Eddie and Jamie

Do you know how much I appreciate the way Blue Bloods is handling Jamie and Eddie’s relationship? No? Well, let me tell you now. The fact that this road they’re on is not smooth is so brilliant. Eddie is a brave, determined, independent woman who is not afraid to be a champion for other women. If there is a fight worth joining, that helps keep women safe, she will jump in. So, of course, that will lead to her and Jamie butting heads.

Jamie’s roles, in Eddie’s life and at work, involve looking out for her and her best interests. So, when it comes to the battles she chooses to fight, Jamie is going to have a different set of concerns . He loves her and supports her, but he can’t do either of those things in the event the job takes her from him. It’s complicated, beautiful and very real.

Their fight over dinner was layered, and you can understand both sides of the argument. Eddie is capable, this criminal is dangerous, and a detective is giving her an opportunity. She can do this. But, at the same time, if Jamie has concerns about a colleague that are strong enough to vocalize, then those concerns are likely founded. Jamie does not see smoke unless there’s a fire. I am sure there is a part of his side of the argument that is influenced by concern for his fiancee over concern for one of his officers, as well. He is used to being Eddie’s partner. As a partner, he could be there. As a boss, her undercover opportunity is not his case. He has no direct authority over it and other officers to supervise besides Eddie. It’s different.

The scene where Jamie barges in on Eddie’s case as she’s being attacked manages to make you cheer and wince all at once. You cheer because Eddie is safe. You wince because Jamie took away Eddie’s chance to take care of herself. Barging in on her work was not the right answer, especially when a detective was nearby, keeping an eye on her. Even if Jamie disagreed with the detective’s course of action, he should trust Eddie. Does it mean they both risk her getting hurt? Yes. Did Eddie decide that it was worth that risk? Yes. Should Jamie respect that? Yes. Do we know that something horrible wouldn’t have happened to Eddie if he hadn’t stepped in? No.

It’s a multifaceted issue, and I like that as Eddie and Jamie are discussing it later, the right answer is not plainly stated. Why do I like that? Because there is no right answer. Not every issue they face will have a right answer. It’s a fact of life.

Watching these two navigate work and their relationship has been a consistent joy this season. Will Estes and Vanessa Ray are brilliant together, and they really bring out each other’s best work. I am excited to watch them every week. This week was no exception.

Victim Blaming

God bless Blue Bloods. The entire cast, crew, creative team and CBS all deserve praise for giving women’s issues so much focus this season. We are well and truly blessed by them. The conversation Eddie has with a female victim who has been robbed and assaulted is breathtaking in its sentiment and deliberate intention. “This is not how the world should be,” it screams. “We need to fix it.”

Yes, we do.

This victim blames herself. She was out too late, she’d had too much to drink, and she was walking alone. Somehow, these things mean that it was her fault that this criminal decided to assault her and steal from her. They mean that her freedom should be limited as a means of protecting herself. Women are taught this line of thinking from an early age. We are taught to expect violent behavior from men as a result of our choices. We are told to modify our behavior if we wish to prevent it. This is fundamentally incorrect.

I cannot tell you how emotional it was to watch this scene as a female viewer, and I cannot tell you how much vindication I felt when Eddie addressed this woman’s guilt and said, “You know what? How about we not blame you? How about we blame the guy that did this to you? That sounds good?”

It was simple, clear, concise. But perfect.

I want to shout that to the world. I want every female victim of assault, rape or sexual harassment to watch that scene and hear those words.

“How about we not blame you? How about we blame the guy that did this to you?”

It’s a statement that seems like common sense. But, oddly enough, it isn’t in this world we currently live in. In this scene, we’re being confronted with that, and we’re being told to fix it. We’re being encouraged to change our world. This scene is Blue Bloods at its absolute best, and I could not be more grateful to this show, this cast, this crew, these writers, and the network that enables them to put these messages into our imperfect and cruel world.

Thank you, Blue Bloods. Thank you for being a show of reason, sense and empathy. If only the rest of society would follow your lead.

I cannot wait to see what other stories and messages this show is going to tell us this season! We’re only four episodes in, and I’m already touched and impressed beyond measure. Thank you all so much for reading, and I will see you back here after the next episode to discuss what comes next for the Reagan family!

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3 thoughts on “Blue Bloods 9×04 “Blackout” Review”

Another good review but disagree about Jamie. In their vows he said he would be her cavalry. He was. The other detective waited way too long to come out from behind the bushes. Jamie would have done the same thing in seasons 4 thru 8. Danny would have done the same if it was Baez. Would like to see more of just Jamie at his new job like in 9-02 episode. It’s still not clear if their CO knows about their engagement, Frank must certainly know they’re in the 2-9. He knows everything.

One other comment…Jamie was tending to his own police business & letting Eddie do her thing when he decided to review the reports of the other victims. After reading them he knew the undercover was not necessary. He was right about the other detective being “reckless”. When Jamie confronted the detective the guy backed off because he knew Jamie was right.

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